Lidar observations of mesospheric sodium over Italy

We have developed a lidar system for the measurements of the mesospheric atomic sodium (Na) number density profile. The performances and the main characteristics of the system are evaluated showing the first observations: Na number density profiles can be obtained with a resolution of 300 m in altitude and of 200 s in time, the relative uncertainty is between 5% and 10%. These features also allow to discuss the capability of the system to detect the time and space variability of Na density profiles, which is typical of the gravity wave propagation. The preliminary analysis of the sodium profile dynamics along a 7 hours measurement session, started from 19:30UT on 10 April 1997, shows the presence of wave-like perturbations with characteristics typical of propagating gravity waves

Determination of propofol by GC/MS and fast GC/MS-TOF in two cases of poisoning

Two cases of suspected acute and lethal intoxication caused by propofol were delivered by the judicial authority to the Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother-Child Care in Palermo, Sicily. In the first case a female nurse was found in a hotel room, where she lived with her mother; four 10 mg/mL vials and two 20 mg/mL vials of propofol were found near the decedent along with syringes and needles. In the second case a male nurse was found in the operating room of a hospital, along with a used syringe. In both cases a preliminary systematic and toxicological analysis indicated the presence of propofol in the blood and urine. As a result, a method for the quantitative determination of propofol in biological fluids was optimized and validated using a liquid-liquid extraction protocol followed by GC/MS and fast GC/MS-TOF. In the first case, the concentration of propofol in blood was determined to be 8.1 \u3bcg/mL while the concentration of propofol in the second case was calculated at 1.2 \u3bcg/mL. Additionally, the tissue distribution of propofol was determined for both cases. Brain and liver concentrations of propofol were, respectively, 31.1 and 52.2 \u3bcg/g in Case 1 and 4.7 and 49.1 \u3bcg/g in Case 2. Data emerging from the autopsy findings, histopathological exams as well as the toxicological results aided in establishing that the deaths were due to poisoning, however, the manner of death in each were different: homicide in Case 1 and suicide in Case 2

Determining the Dependency of Spy1 based on Rb Status

Determining the Dependency of Spy1 based on Rb Status Visconti, T., Philbin, N, Fifield, B, Porter L.A. University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario. N9B 3P4 Porter Lab, Department of Integrative Biology/Biomedical Sciences Breast cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide and the most common cancer among women. Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) is a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer with many subtypes based on gene expression profiles. There are currently no targeted treatments for TNBC due to its molecular characteristics, urging the discovery of new therapeutic targets. Potential therapeutic avenues are the cell cycle and its mediators which play an important role in cancer formation and progression. Spy1, a cyclin-like protein, promotes cell proliferation through the G1/S and G2/M checkpoints. Spy1 promotes proliferation even in the presence of DNA damage, overriding checkpoints and increasing cancer susceptibility. While Spy1 has been found to be elevated in breast cancer, its unique binding structure makes for an ideal candidate for cell cycle inhibition therapy. The retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein (Rb) is known to regulate the DNA damage response system and is key in regulating the cell cycle. However, studies have shown that Rb is often mutated in TNBC inducing deregulated cell cycle progression potentially leading to tumor development. For some breast cancer subtypes the presence or absence of Rb (Rb status) can dictate response to treatment by cell cycle inhibitor drugs. Using in vitroTNBC models (MDA-MB-231 & Bt549 cell lines), this study aims to determine if Spy1 can override checkpoints independently of Rb status, and if elevated levels of Spy1 alter this response. These results could provide further guidance in developing cell cycle inhibition targeted therapies and potentially better TNBC patient outcomes

Autism Spectrum Disorder and Narcolepsy: A Possible Connection That Deserves to Be Investigated.

Narcolepsy in childhood-adolescence is characterized by a high occurrence of psychiatric comorbidities. The most frequent psychiatric disorders reported in these patients are attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, anxiety disorder, and schizophrenia. However, narcolepsy can be associated also with introversion, sorrowfulness, feelings of inferiority, impaired affectivity modulation, emotional lability, irritability, aggressiveness, and poor attention, that have been pooled by some authors under a definition of "narcoleptic personality." Some aspects of this "narcoleptic personality," and in particular introversion, impaired affectivity modulation, irritability, and poor attention, partially overlap with the clinical features of the individuals with autism spectrum disorder, considering also those that are not regarded as core autism symptoms. Till now, in literature the number of cases affected by both narcolepsy and autism spectrum disorder (seven patients) has been clearly too small to demonstrate the presence of a pathogenetic link between these two conditions, but this possible connection has not yet been adequately investigated, despite the presence of several points in common. The finding of a connection between narcolepsy and autism spectrum disorder could boost the study of possible etiopathogenetic mechanisms shared between these two apparently so distant disorders. Basing on the literature data summarized in this paper, in the diagnostic work-up of a child with narcolepsy it is essential to evaluate also the social-communicative behavior using standardized tools in order to detect the real recurrence of clinical features suggesting an autism spectrum disorder. At the same time, it appears necessary to screen in the individuals with autism spectrum disorder for the possible presence of evoking symptoms of narcolepsy

Non-equilibrium evolution of stratospheric particles under multi-components diffusive condensation/evaporation regime

A box model is used to study the evolution of stratospheric HNO3/H2SO4/H2O solution particles along temperature variations, which force the droplet ensemble far from the thermodynamic equilibrium. In the case of rapid temperature fluctuations, i.e. orographically forced lee waves, the model shows that the micron-sized droplets meet the conditions to become precursors of solid particles, mainly constituted of nitric acid hydrates. This paper examines how the particle size distributions and compositions are influenced by the presence of rapid temperature fluctuations, comparing model calculations along prescribed thermal histories. There results a remarkable dependence of the particle physical status (solid and/or liquid) on the presence of wave-like perturbations in the former thermal history of the air mass

Wearable Sensors and Smart Devices to Monitor Rehabilitation Parameters and Sports Performance: An Overview

A quantitative evaluation of kinetic parameters, the joint’s range of motion, heart rate, and breathing rate, can be employed in sports performance tracking and rehabilitation monitoring following injuries or surgical operations. However, many of the current detection systems are expensive and designed for clinical use, requiring the presence of a physician and medical staff to assist users in the device’s positioning and measurements. The goal of wearable sensors is to overcome the limitations of current devices, enabling the acquisition of a user’s vital signs directly from the body in an accurate and non–invasive way. In sports activities, wearable sensors allow athletes to monitor performance and body movements objectively, going beyond the coach’s subjective evaluation limits. The main goal of this review paper is to provide a comprehensive overview of wearable technologies and sensing systems to detect and monitor the physiological parameters of patients during post–operative rehabilitation and athletes’ training, and to present evidence that supports the efficacy of this technology for healthcare applications. First, a classification of the human physiological parameters acquired from the human body by sensors attached to sensitive skin locations or worn as a part of garments is introduced, carrying important feedback on the user’s health status. Then, a detailed description of the electromechanical transduction mechanisms allows a comparison of the technologies used in wearable applications to monitor sports and rehabilitation activities. This paves the way for an analysis of wearable technologies, providing a comprehensive comparison of the current state of the art of available sensors and systems. Comparative and statistical analyses are provided to point out useful insights for defining the best technologies and solutions for monitoring body movements. Lastly, the presented review is compared with similar ones reported in the literature to highlight its strengths and novelties

A combined Rayleigh-Raman lidar for measurements of tropospheric water vapour and aerosol profiles

The receiver of the Differential Absorption Lidar system of the University of L’Aquila (Italy) has been upgraded for the detection of Raman scattering from nitrogen and water vapour induced by XeCl and XeF excimer laser lines. In this configuration, only the XeF source is activated, so we can measure the tropospheric water vapour mixing ratio profiles with a height resolution of 300 m and 10 min in time. The lower limit sensitivity for the mixing ratio of water vapour is about 2 Q1024 and the precision ranges between 5% at 2 km and 50% at 9 km. The aerosol back-scattering ratio profiles can be measured with the same altitude and time resolution up to the lower stratosphere, the relative error is below 5% in the troposphere and about 30% at the highest altitudes. Comparisons with coincident PTU balloon-sondes show that the performances of the system in measuring the tropospheric water vapour are well calibrated for studying the water vapour evolution and cloud formation in the troposphere

An fMRI dataset in response to “The Grand Budapest Hotel”, a socially-rich, naturalistic movie

Naturalistic stimuli evoke strong, consistent, and information-rich patterns of brain activity, and engage large extents of the human brain. They allow researchers to compare highly similar brain responses across subjects, and to study how complex representations are encoded in brain activity. Here, we describe and share a dataset where 25 subjects watched part of the feature film “The Grand Budapest Hotel” by Wes Anderson. The movie has a large cast with many famous actors. Throughout the story, the camera shots highlight faces and expressions, which are fundamental to understand the complex narrative of the movie. This movie was chosen to sample brain activity specifically related to social interactions and face processing. This dataset provides researchers with fMRI data that can be used to explore social cognitive processes and face processing, adding to the existing neuroimaging datasets that sample brain activity with naturalistic movies

Bidirectional Communication System on Power Line Integrated on Electronic Board for Driving of LED and HID Lamps

We present the bidirectional power line communication system developed in parallel to an electronic board for driving and control of HID (high-intensity discharge) and LED (light-emitting diode) lamps. The communication system, developed to be applied in the sector of public illumination, is been designed to combine high efficiency and reliability with low production costs; it consists indeed of discrete cheap components. The communication system described in this paper implements the technique of transporting digital information over existing power lines, avoiding the issue of installing new cables. Digitized signals can use power line cables through the amplitude voltage and current modulation. The solution proposed is more advantageous compared to communication techniques currently on the market which are essentially two types, power line carrier (modem for high-voltage lines) or radio (zig-Bee transceiver)

Strengthening Synergies: How Action to Achieve Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Conservation Targets Can Contribute to Mitigating Climate Change

The essential contribution of nature to addressing climate change provides an opportunity to strengthen the links between the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Convention on Biological Diversity. As we move towards the next Conferences of the Parties of both Conventions, there is a need to assess explicitly the role of nature in helping to meet the goals of these agreements efficiently and effectively. This series of reports aims to shed light on this topic by assessing the potential contribution that achieving biodiversity conservation targets can make to climate change mitigation. By doing so, it aims to provide both context and mandate for discussions under both Conventions on the role of nature-based solutions in climate change mitigation and links to biodiversity conservation action